Weber State students win award for letting people say things behind their backs

OGDEN — What kind of things are said behind our backs? If you didn't know someone, what kind of labels would you put on a person based on their gender or ethnicity?

Stereotypes of ethnic immigrants can be brutal, and the recent massacre of dozens of children and adults in Norway by a man claiming an anti-immigrant agenda, is a stark reminder where it can lead. But for many others, name-calling and other comments are kept just out of earshot.

That is what a group of students from Weber State University sought to find out on the streets of Berlin, Germany, as part of an international team of graphics design students. The group was recently awarded an international design prize for its thoughtful and provocative approach to understanding labels and stereotypes.

Students took to the streets last summer, wearing white T-shirts that said: "What would people call me behind my back?" People were then asked to take a marker and write comments about the person. The students were from the United States, Turkey, United Kingdom, Germany and China.

"Barak Obama," "He looks like Will Smith" and "like Morgan Freeman" were some of the things Berliners wrote on the back of one African-American student from Maryland.

A curly-haired, white male student from the U.S. had comments like, "you eat disgusting food," "Israelien (that's meant to be positive)," and "curly Sue."

One female student from Turkey had "eat lots of kebabs," "beautiful lady from Turkey" and "you all look the same!" penned on her back.

Some students commented that exposing themselves to the judgment of strangers was so uncomfortable that they would choose not to do it again.

WSU visual arts professor Mark Biddle said the project "Sticks + Stones" was designed to raise questions and discussion about labeling, stereotyping and name calling. "Visual communication has been used to oppress and hurt people," Biddle said, pointing to the extensive propaganda created by the Nazi party during World War II. Biddle was one of several international professors who created the project.

Biddle said much like how the United States has struggled with the growing population of Hispanic immigrants, Germany and other European countries have struggled to integrate populations of immigrants from the Middle-East and Africa.